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Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Review: "The Captured Bride" by Michelle Griep

I'm a bit late to the Michelle Griep party—I didn't discover her books until last year—but once I read The Captive Heart, there was no turning back.

And it's that love for Griep's writing that brought me to The Captured Bride—because it's set in a time I don't normally gravitate toward, I don't think I would've wanted to read it had Griep's name not been attached. But now that I have read it, I'm glad I took a chance.

A war-torn countryside is no place for a lady—but Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause . . . to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart.Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he’s offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he’s the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought.Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?

Genre: Historical RomanceRelease Date: June 1, 2018

Set during the French and Indian War, The Captured Bride is full of adventure, intrigue, and romance.

When Mercy and Elias are brought together on a mission of delivering gold to a nearby fort, there's never any doubt that the two will fall in love—but the way that they fall in love, through difficult circumstances that pop up at every turn, makes this story so enjoyable.

I loved all the twists and turns that the book took; though there's the overarching plot of taking the gold to the fort, all these sub-adventures exist, and they add interest throughout. In fact, it almost felt like a serialized novel, and I mean that it a good way. All of the side adventures helped keep me engaged in the story, and they also brought in some very intriguing characters.

The romance takes a backseat to the adventure until the last 15% of the novel or so, but Mercy's and Elias's feelings have been building throughout, so I didn't mind the general lack of romance in the first part of the book. (You know I love my romance!) I did think that things wrapped up rather quickly at the very end of the novel—it felt like there should have been just a little bit more to the story. But overall, The Captured Bride is a fun, engaging story, and I highly recommend it. 4 stars.
Note: This is the third book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. Each book covers a different time period and is written by a different author, and each book stands alone. I haven't read the first two books in the series, but Mercy appears to be a descendant of William and Mary from The Mayflower Bride.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of historical romances: The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, Undercurrent and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Guest Post by Michelle Griep

A Visit to Fort Niagara

Whether you’re a history buff or don’t have a clue what the French and Indian War was about, there’s a destination in upstate New York that’s fun to visit for the whole family . . .

My husband and I made the trek to this living history site last summer. I had no idea what to expect, other than what was advertised as a “reenactment camp.” For those who don’t know, this is when volunteers who adore history come together to present a particular event, such as a battle. These people usually choose a real person from the era upon whom they fashion their modern day persona. They dress, speak, eat and live as that person might have. Here I am with some of my new friends:

Generally around the 4th of July, the 1759 Battle of Fort Niagara is recreated in a 3-day extravaganza of soldiers, muskets, canons and an entire market place to peruse selling period-related items.

Some of the things that surprised me about stepping back into the mid-eighteenth century were:

How much smoke muskets kick out

Once the battle begins, it’s hard to see who is your enemy or ally

Canons are really loud

Everything wasn’t as black and white as it seems in pictures—gowns and uniforms were very colorful

What makes this event so spectacular is that they take the entire 20 day siege and condense it into 3 days. If you visit every day, you’ll see and experience exactly what happened. You’ll be there to see the British, Colonial regulars and Iroquois allies sneak out of the tree line to shoot at some French soldiers who were pigeon hunting just outside the fort. You’ll hear the war whoops and barrage of angry French epithets roaring on the air. You’ll even get a chance to taste some of their food as you wander around inside the French Encampment set up inside the fort walls.

To experience a bit of the danger, sights and sounds of what Mercy and Elias lived through in The Captured Bride, Fort Niagara really is a fantastic place to visit.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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